All Natural Green Goo Products for home and body

In our family, we always lean towards natural products that are safe for us and the environment. Recently, we had an opportunity to try a few products from Green Goo, a women-owned family-operated small business based in Colorado that sells all-natural body care. We really like that they use time-honoured traditions and plant-based ingredients to create a line of products that are gentle, effective, cruelty-free, and sustainably sourced. Their products do not use petrochemicals, parabens, phthalates, or any other dangerous additives.

Plant for Change as part of Attitude's reforestation program and Giveaway

We have been using ATTITUDE® products for a few years now, and love that this Canada-based company develops natural personal care and household products that are dedicated to promoting healthy living. The entire line of ATTITUDE® products are made with natural, hypoallergenic and EWG VERIFIED™ ingredients, that adhere to the highest quality and eco-conscious standards: they are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and certified by PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and ECOLOGO, and are exempt from potentially harmful substances according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). 

Eco-friendly dish cleansing paste from KLIIN and Giveaway

Thank you KLIIN for sponsoring this post, and for being part of our journey to become more eco-friendly!

In our home, we try our best to be eco-conscious about everything we do, from the materials we use to how much we consume and recycle. We recently got the opportunity to use KLIIN's new eco-friendly dish cleansing paste. We have been using this paste when hand-washing our dishes and to clean different surfaces around our home. We are thrilled with the results of how clean it made our surfaces and dishes look, and it feels good to know we can reduce our consumption of water as well.

Health Conscious ATTITUDE Products for Little Ones

ATTITUDE is Canadian brand of personal care and household products that is free of chemical contaminants, and it is a trusted product in our home. They have a new baby line, LITTLE ONES, which are products specifically formulated to meet the needs of parents who are looking to bring purity and health into their homes. The health of our children is an important matter, so ATTITUDE offers parents a conscious choice on what they bring home and use on their babies, as the products do not have carcinogenic chemicals.

Have an Eco-Friendly Party with Loot Press

If you are planning on hosting a party, you will love the collection of eco-friendly products at Loot Press. Loot Press has beautiful personalized paper loot bags and party decorations that will be suitable for any party. The company based in Toronto caters their beautiful paper-based eco-friendly products to all over Canada and USA that can be purchased online.

The Peaceable Forest: A Tale of Kindness to Animals

The Peaceable Forest is an ancient Indian Vedic tale about Kindness to Animals, written by Kosa Ely.  In this ancient parable from India was passed on to children through an oral tradition.  This story reminds children to be compassionate to all living creatures and respecting life.

In this story a forest-dwelling hunter learns that cruelty has consequences and that compassion has rewards.  When the hunter meets the wise man, Narada, "Do unto others as they would do unto you" takes on a very concrete meaning. The sage leads the hunter on an imagined journey in which the hunter becomes the hunted. When the hunter realizes his actions affect other living things, he has a change of heart and begins to live in peace with the animals he once pursued for fun and without reason.  My daughter said that her favourite part was in the end when the hunter becomes a good person and lived in a peaceful way.

Anna Johansson's richly detailed illustrations show the animal kingdom and enchanted forests with fine lines and luminous colors.  The Peaceable Forest is an inspiring picture book that illustrates flora and fauna native to India.  My children found this book to be colourful and fun to read.  The interesting pictures will attract young readers as they see the world in the perspective of the animals.  My son liked observing the pictures and asking questions regards to the characters' clothing and liked the picture of the hunter's stance when he was shooting the arrow.  

The beautiful and accessible message within The Peaceable Forest opens up conversations about kindness and nonviolence to all living things, which teaches children to respect life in all its forms.  After reading and looking through the book we can have meaningful conversations with our children about this philosophy.  

All rights reserved on photographs and opinion of the written content Createwithmom © 2011 - 2013. Please Ask First

Win 1 of 3 BlueWater Seafood Giveaway Kits

There are about 3 million people in Canada that are gluten sensitive however, it is hard to find gluten free products that taste good in the market.  BlueWater's Gluten Free Grill Fish is made using high-quality fish that is flame-grilled and lightly seasoned.  The absence of wheat, barley, rye and oats does not take away from the delicious taste and flavour.  Their gluten free grilled seafood options include Haddock, Salmon, Tilapia and Fillets from white Alaska Pollock.  I think it is better for all of us to avoid gluten in our diets to have a healthy lifestyle.  

BlueWater has lots of flavourful seafood products so we can enjoy a different flavour of fish each time we prepare meals.  These products have natural omega-3 fatty acids and are source of lean protein that has lots of health benefits for us, such as maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improving arthritis and join pain, and enhancing brain growth and development.
I like having these packages in the freezer to use when we want to prepare hearty, healthy meals for the whole family to enjoy within minutes.  

This package of Crunchy Breaded Sole is not gluten free.

BlueWater is also committed to protect and enhance sustainability of seafood resources, as their realize that increase demand put pressure on our natural resources.  They are part of the Trusted Catch Program and are in collaboration with other industry partners to proactively influence seafood sourcing to minimize harm to the surrounding ecosystems.  

Everyone in my family enjoyed this great tasting Crunchy Breaded Sole, this product is not gluten free.   We found it to be flavourful and had it in a burger style sandwich bun with salad, tomato and hot sauce.  I also served fries on the side.  Their site as lots of recipes that show us how else we can serve.

BlueWater products are available in Ontario at Loblaws, Fortinos, YIG, Zehrs, Valu-Mart, No Frills, RCSS, Metro and Sobeys.  In Quebec it is available at Loblaws, Provigo, Maxi, Metro, Super C and IGA/IGA Extra.  In the West of Canada at Extra Foods, RCSS, No Frills, Sobeys, Safeway, Federated Coop.  In the Atlantic you can find it at Save Easy, RASS, No Frills and Sobeys.

This cool sling bag from BlueWater will come in handy when we go shopping as it can be easily folded and kept in your handbag.  It is easy to wash and clean this bag so we can keep it fresh all the time.

Giveaway:
By entering this giveaway through the rafflecopter below you will win a sling bag and a product coupon.  Three winners in Canada will be picked by March 15, 2013.
Please make sure you visit BlueWater's Grill Fish is Gluten Free page and click Facebook and/or twitter share and leave a comment on two posts and follow my social media networks to win.  The winners will have 48 hours to respond.
Update: The winners are Andrew, Jay and Sam
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I recieved a coupon to try their product.  All rights reserved on mentioned photographs and opinion of the written content Createwithmom © 2011 - 2013. Please Ask First

Using colourful patterned Duck Tape to pack gifts

Using colourful duct tape in creative ways is the newest craft trend.  Since "ductivities" are becoming popular there are a lot of coloured and patterned duct tapes available in craft stores, home hardware stores and online.  

I have been using grey duct tape to make crafts such as this rattle and to fix things around the home.  When I saw the beautiful varieties of duct tape Duck Brand has I felt very excited as it helps us become more creative.  

Duct tape crafts are durable, no mess and wonderful to do on our own or as a group.  Although, there are so many things we can do with these creative Duck Tapes the project doesn't have to be complicated.  For starters we can use it to do small creative things such as using it to decorate holiday gift bags.  For this "eco-friendly activity" :) you will need...

Paper shopping bags

colourful Duck Tape

scissors

permanent marker

I reused paper shopping bags that I had.  

Use colourful Duck Tape and paste it over the area you want to cover.  Then personalize each bag by writing a message with a permanent marker over the tape. 

Using a roll of decorative duct tape is only limited by our imagination and these types of colourful duct tape help us get started and become creative.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Healthier eco-friendly way to cover dishes

In our home, we are always looking for ways to become more environmentally friendly, so when I came across BowlOvers I was very interested to use them.  
I think BowlOvers are healthier and environmentally friendly than using plastic wraps.  We can keep our leftovers covered in the fridge, or use it when we rise our bread/pizza dough or soak lentils on the counter.  I found it convenient to use as we can machine wash it.  
These covers made me think how plastic might be harmfully reacting with the food we eat when it is kept in the fridge or counter.      

I like the added touch of the messages that were in the BowlOvers.  This clever, useful, eco-friendly food storage solution is made with 100% cotton and designed in England.  The design of these bowl covers are retro-inspired.  The covers fit snugly over the dishes as it has an elastic band around it.  
There are different sizes with unique messages.  The five collections are original, holiday, Christmas, salad days and vintage gingham.  

These covers are available in England, USA and Canada.  It is sold in a pack of 6 that has 2 of large, medium and small.  The large cover fits over bowl size 8" to 10", medium fits over bowl size 6" to 8" and small fits over bowl size 2" to 4".  These BowlOvers are a staple in every pantry and would make a wonderful hostess gift.

Image from the BowlOvers site

All rights reserved on mentioned photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Carrots from our garden and sweet carrot dessert

Carrots from our garden this summer.  I put some seeds in directly in the soil a few weeks before the last frost.  We enjoyed these delicious carrots in the beginning of summer. 

Children love pulling and digging out the carrots themselves.  Carrot plants are beautiful foliage and are wonderful border plants.  It is healthy to eat carrots just on its own.  We like making this delicious dessert with carrots and milk, it is known as carrot halwa or carrot pudding.    

4 to 5 big carrots (if grated it will be about 2 cups)

2 cups milk

3 cardamom pods ground

2 to 3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp ghee 

1 tbsp nuts 

1 tbsp raisins

Mince the cleaned carrots with the milk in a blender.  Cook the milk carrot mince with the cardamom and sugar until it is well cooked.  

When the milk evaporates and the carrots are well cooked it will become vibrant in colour.  Add ghee, nuts and raisins and sauté for a few minutes.  

Add more sugar if needed depending on your taste.  Serve warm or cold.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

FilterFresh Rubbermaid water bottle giveaway

FilterFresh Rubbermaid water bottles on the go transform our tap water into a delicious refreshing drink.  The filter removes chlorine, but it doesn't filter microbes or fluorides so use only drinkable water to fill the bottles.


The bottles are dishwasher safe, place the bottle and lid on the top rack or wash by hand.  The freezer safe BPA free bottles have a twist cap that prevents leaks and allows to quickly place ice cubes.  It fits into cup holders, easy when we are on the go.  The finger loop is convenient to hold onto the 600ml bottle.   


It provides 300 bottles of water anytime, anywhere, which is useful when we don't trust the water in different areas.  Usually, because of the summer heat we end up finishing the water we take and refill from the taps for convenience so having this Rubbermaid filter bottles would allow us to have healthy clean water.  The dial on the replaceable filter helps us track when it is time to replace the filter, which is about every three months.  The filter works immediately without wait time.
Before using the bottle for the first time unscrew the filter, remove the wrap, reattach, fill the tap water, flush the filter first with hot water then refill and enjoy.


These bottles comes in blue, purple, black and green.  It is available at most Real Canadian superstores and Loblaws for a price of $9.99.  The 2 pack replacement filters are $9.99.
Become eco-friendly and stop using water bottles that end up in our landfills.  


To win a package of this Filter fresh rubbermaid water bottles and refill, leave a comment on this post before July 20th.  The value of the giveaway is $30.  It is open to everyone in Canada.
Please follow me on twitter and Facebook (not mandatory) so I can easily let you know if you are the winner.
Update: The winner is Wendy

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Green Dolphin review and giveaway

Green Dolphin products are eco safe solutions for our home. I tested three of their products, the green bin deodorizer, calcium lime rust buster and stainless steel cleaner and polish.
I like the feeling of using eco-friendly products that doesn't have abrasives, solvents and VOCs. All the products are made in Canada and can be bought online.
Although the solutions are safe to use around children, please keep it away from children and be careful not to come in contact with eyes and skin.

I used the green bin deodorizer on our green bins, which instantly eliminated odour. I usually wash the bin every time I change the bags but I liked spraying this solution then washing it to remove "unseen bacteria" :) Useful to have especially during the hot months when the outdoor green bins start to smell so easily. This solution is known to remove bacteria found in green bins, garbage cans, compost, diaper pail that is caused by spoiled food, animal waste, vomit and pet stains. Just spray and it will neutralize the odour. It does have a strong apple scent.

The stainless cleaner and polish is a high performing, solvent-free polish that is good to be used on any type of metal surface such as stainless steel, aluminum and chrome. The solution removes grime, fingerprints and watermarks. I used it on few of our kitchen appliances such as the fridge, sink, outside of the kettle and it worked well. It leaves a protective coating and prevents the surface from deteriorating. I like that the surface was smooth and it had no oily film afterwards. It is easy to use this cleaner and polish by shaking it well, then applying onto a lint free cloth and wipe the area. Afterwards, buff with another lint free cloth. The solvent is made using water, organic polymer and surfactants from botanical sources.

The calcium lime rust buster is an eco-safe kitchen and bath multi surface cleaner that is safe and biodegradable. It removes rust stains, hard water and mineral spots around the sink, drains and toilets. Spray the solution, let it stand for a few minutes, scrub with a brush and rinse. Do not leave this product for a long time on metal surfaces. It removes minerals from our washrooms and sinks without the harsh toxic chemicals. This safe product is made with coconut based non-ionic surfactant and salts.

Giveaway
Use this code: CREATE to get 20% off until August 8th.

Green Dolphin would like to offer a Canadian reader of Createwithmom and Torviewtoronto a chance to win a package of Eco Auto Dishwasher detergent and a bottle of coffee pot and kettle cleaner.

To enter this giveaway please leave a comment on this post before July 15th.
Please follow me on twitter and Facebook so I can let you know the winner (this is for ease of contacting not mandatory).
Follow Green Dolphin on twitter to know about their new products and other information.

Update: The giveaway winner is Diana

I am joining the Great Canadian Blog Bash 2012 to celebrate Canada day on July 1st :) There is no place like home.

Follow #TGCBB on twitter to find out about different giveaways hosted by Canadian bloggers.

This post is also posted on Torviewtoronto. All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Omee's boutique

Omee's boutique has beautiful handmade gifts for moms and babies.  All the products are made in a smoke, fragrance and pet free environment.  Omee Bubu, the owner of Omee's boutique carries a wide range of products for eco-conscious people such as bibs, reusable sanitary pads, blankets, wash cloth, bibs, burp cloth, nursing pads, changing pads and blankets.

The eco-friendly  3" by 10.5" long cloth menstrual pads are soft, light and thin.  The pads are made with 1 layer of absorbent terry and 4 layers of flannel stitched at the top layers to prevent leaking.  The wing on the pad has a snap closure.

  

The cute cheerful bibs are 8" x 12" made with soft terry back that absorbs well without soaking through.  There is a snap closure on the back.

The flannel wipes sold at Omee's boutique can also be used as washcloths and napkins.  These double layered wipes are made with soft absorbent flannel.  It is stitched to prevent fraying.

The oversized double layered flannel baby blanket is soft and thick made with 100% cotton snuggle flannel.  It can be used to swaddle little ones, during play time, tummy time, at picnics, for a quick car window cover, car seat cover or as a nursing cover.  This handy 37" x 40" blanket folds to fit into bags/ backpacks.

All clothing can be machine or hand washed and tumble dried or hung to dry.

The products from Omee's boutique can be given as gifts or bought online for everyday use.  We can also make custom orders with our choice of fabric.

Do take advantage of the spring discount using the code SPRING.  If you live in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) you can make arrangements to avoid shipping; here are the details regards to shipping, payment etc.  The products are shipped to anywhere in the world, check the site for special deals.

All rights reserved on opinion of the written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Bento boxes

Reuseit has a wide unique selection of eco-friendly Bento boxes.  This company started in 2003 and has benefited more that 285000 customers who have stopped throwing away about 1 billion of use and toss items such as plastic bags, bottles/cups, paper towel, straw, utensils, wrapping paper, toss food & lunch containers etc.  

Reuse it products are environmentally friendly, innovative and practical.  They even have eco-friendly toothbrushes.  The products such as the ones in Reuseit will benefit all of us and save money.

I tested this Box Appetit Lunch box and Lunch pot designed by Black + Blum London.  These containers are dishwasher and microwave safe.  We can microwave with the lid open for up to 2 minutes; don't over heat because the food can become dangerously hot.  If the container is tight and hard to open use the spoon to let out air and turn.

These containers are conveniently designed to hold a reusable utensil.  The strap on the Lunch pot can be tightened so its like a carry handle.

I like the colour combinations, white/ green and red/ black in this selection. Compartments in this bento style Lunch box can hold dip, snack, salad or sandwich.  The Lunch pots can carry soups, rice and noodles.  The top container of the Lunch pot holds 10 fl. oz and the bottom holds 18.5 fl. oz.

Check out there site for a wide selection of bento boxes.

Use this code FIVEMORE to receive a $5 off at checkout in orders over $50, which is valid till August 31, 2012.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Gloves Off eco-friendly cleaners

It is hard to find cleaning products that are safe around children that are not corrosive or have horrible fumes. I am glad I got a chance to test Gloves Off, which is an eco-friendly line of cleaning products from Planet People. The products are all natural blends of essential oil and ingredients derived from plants. There are no harsh toxic chemicals or fumes.

I liberally used the Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover in the washroom and kitchen. I didn't smell a thing, unlike when I use the other brands I have to cover my nose and ask the children to leave :)

I would not say that it does miracles because I tried it on surfaces where there has been rusts for a long period of time. Hard water staining is very hard to get rid of and I have tried a few regular traditional cleaners on this rust before that didn't work fast as well. I think with regular use of this product the rust will wear off. However using Gloves off is a better option than using chemicals with toxic and fumes.

Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover can be used in all types of surfaces and appliances. When I used it in the kitchen sink it did make a big difference as it was sparkling clean after I put a little bit of Gloves Off Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover and scrubbed it with a steel wool.

Tough stain remover removes all type of stains such as dried latex paint, pen, crayon, marker, make up, pet, food, grease, chewing gum, adhesive, soap, oven grim etc. This could be used in any type of surface including fabric, first test in a small spot. This product can be poured directly, let it penetrate on the surface, wipe and rinse if needed. When applying on fabric stain apply a small amount, blot with a wet cloth and wash separately in the laundry.

I used Tough stain remover to clean pen marks off a rug. I used it liberally, rubbed and washed it. This mark has been there for a while and I didn't know how to get rid of it and wanted something that wouldn't leave a patch like when we use bleach. So I tried this Tough stain remover and it did remove the marks. It also removed the stains in the microwave and cooker.

I usually take precautions and wipe everything especially during seasonal changes. I am glad this time I got to try the Gloves Off all purpose cleaner & disinfectant. Before I got to know Gloves Off, I use to dilute Dettol with water, or dilute vinegar or baking soda, which usually had an after smell.

Gloves Off All purpose cleaner & disinfectant is a registered disinfectant with Health Canada that kills 99.9% germs, so for me it is better to use this than diluting products. It is made form essential oils and plant extract, if you know the smell of ajwain seeds then it smelled exactly like that. It can be used anywhere as it kills bacteria, virus and eliminates odour removing germs without ammonia and bleach. It can be used as a cleaner, disinfect or and deodorizer by shaking it well, spraying and wiping. There is no need to rinse. If you are using in areas where food will have direct contact rinse the area afterwards.

Although it is safe, I would prefer to have gloves on or use many layers of cloth to clean the surfaces without having direct contact with the cleaning product because it maybe strong for our hands. The biggest bonus of Gloves Off is that it doesn't have fumes and is safe for the environment and us.

All rights reserved on photographs and opinion of the written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Green Living show 2012 experience

We learned about eco-friendly products and ways we can to be part of sustainable living at the Green Living Show, which will be held at the Direct Energy Centre CNE from April 13th till April 15th.

At the show, we got to know about free services such as getting rid of our garbage in an environmentally friendly way. For example, using TerraCycle. Once, we sign up and tell which type of the waste we like to get rid of, we can start collecting and then send it to TerraCycle using their free shipping UPS slip. The materials that are collected will be used to create new products. TerraCycle operates all over the world. Recycle your electronics is a service that helps us get rid of office and home electronic products. Orange drop can be used to safely dispose our hazardous waste free of charge. Household hazardous wastes should not be thrown in the garbage or down the drain. We can take it to municipal HHW depot collection event or take the paint and batteries to a retail drop-off location. Put your postal code on the side bar and search for the collection depots. 

There were other companies that offer eco-friendly options and ways we can make our home greener, for example using rain barrels, solar powered panels, roofing, green windows, water systems, and more. They had a variety of gardening products and tips. There were many products related to fashion, beauty and clothing which were made using natural organic material such as pure cotton and bamboo. The show had companies and business that taught about healthy living by adding yoga and exercise to our daily routine. The electronic cars on display looked really cool.

There were lots of things related to bio-diversity such as plants, seeds, flowers, planting with Rona and Rouge park and magazines that has tips on how we can be part of cultivating a green city.

We spent a lot of time at the Eco-zone which had lots of hand-on children friendly things to do. They had reptiles to touch. There were lots of playhouses and toys built with cardboard. Children mixed clay, soil and wildflower seeds and made seed balls to plant. I found out that there was corn-based glue from Elmer's. The ROM had organized a booth where we learned about some creatures found in the oceans in Canada.

We made cool fish using paper plates. The paper plate fish were made using...

paper plates

googly eyes

glue

markers

yarn to hang

Cut a triangle shape on one sides of the paper plate for the mouth. Staple this triangle piece on the opposite side, horizontally from where the cut was made for the tail.

Glue the googly eyes and decorate the fish. Punch a hole to hang the fish using yarn.

There were lots of organic and healthy food to taste. They had mushroom growing kits at the Organic Garage so we can try our hand at growing our own oyster mushrooms at home.

I was happy to see familiar products such as Green toys, Kicking horse coffee, Organic Meadow, Three Farmers Camelina oil, TIFF, Rough park, ROM, WWF, and RONA. 

Organic and eco-friendly products have so many benefits to all of us, however they aren't very accessible. My hope is that it would become wide spread so people would be able to purchase these regularly for a reasonable price. Although, paying the extra cash makes us reluctant to take a step towards eco-friendly options, at the Green Living Show we felt that the long term cost would be less and the impact on the environment would also be less when we use eco-friendly products.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First